Meaningful feedback does not come easily to some individuals. In the online learning community, and particularly in online discussions, meaningful feedback is essential in order to promote growth and learning. It is not only the instructor that is required to give meaningful feedback in online discussions, but students are required to do so, as well. Discuss the importance of meaningful feedback, the benefits that it offers to all students in the course, and the strategies that can be used to promote meaningful feedback in online discussions. Use at least three to five outside resources and references in your paper. Be sure to include citations for quotations and paraphrases with references in APA format and style.
Hello Dr.Gatin, This particular assignment gave me the opportunity to observe thatnot only the professor can give meaningful feedback but the students as well. Meaningful feedback is important and offers several benefits. There are also strategies that can be used to promote meaningful feedback.
This particular assignment will provide insight on the benefits of meaningful feedback to teachers and instructors. It is clear that meaningful feedback is essential with regards to online communication in order to promote understanding and meaningful learning.Meaningful feedback can be given by both teachers as well as learners. In addition,strategies should be used to encourage meaningful feedback with online communications. When it comes to feedback from students with regards to their online experience, it is very important. The benefits of online student feedback about courses taken will focus on the experience of the materials and course work instead of just the instructor’s personality. It is of interest to note that some educators recommend that online students who have already taken a course actually write a letter to the new students who will be taking the course with regards to the preparation needed to succeed. (Brookfield, 1995). In the case of online student’s feedback, it is also important to know how well or not well technology worked for them. Student feedback also allows the professors to be aware of any suggestions on how to improve the course (Palloff and Pratt, 2007).
Not only can students provide feedback for the instructor but they can also provide feedback to each other with regards to their assignments. The benefit of student feedback to other students is that it creates a collaborative effort and improves learning. It is important to keep in mind however that all grades that are to be given out are private and from the instructor and not another student. This student to student feedback will be on going and another benefit will be that students will be able to look at completed work in a different light. It is important that student receive training on how to give feedback. It takes more than to just say: “Good Job”. The student who is giving the feedback must know how to explain the reason why the comment is made. A fellow student can state the reason why he feels the way he or she does. The peer review will provide suggestions and reasons for why the comments were made. In addition, a rubric can be provided in advance so that the learners not only know what type of comments to make but also learners will know what will be observed and commented on (Palloff and Pratt, 2005).
A professor can encourage proper feedback from students by modeling examples of feedback which is appropriate and having discussions about this within the discussion thread. In many cases an experience professor will provide an outline of the proper etiquette when addressing fellow learners. The key to keep in mind is to keep the communication professional. The bottom line of student online feedback is that the feedback be productive as well as encourage growth (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004).
There are many types of strategies which can be used to encourage student feedback. As mentioned before a professor can use a discussion thread to encourage feedback. In addition there are also several rubrics that can be used for strategic feedback. When it comes to a team effort, the feedback can be in the form of a sample rubric for collaborative team work. Some of the categories for the learner to be graded on are the team’s effort, presentation style and content information. Another strategic rubric which can be used is an individual performance rubric. Some of the categories which can be measured are level of collaboration, level of preparation, time management as well as the level of focus on the task at hand. A time management system is important and can be measured using comments such as needs improvement to exemplary. For example, a student many not anticipate the amount of time needed to be dedicated to successfully complete an online course. Research reveals that there is a certain amount of time needed to dedicate to learning the needed technology to accomplish proficiency (Kop, 2011). For example, most universities provide a syllabus outlining of the course as well as the suggested text materials. A learner needs to take into account the time needed to devote to reading and studying the materials for the project assignment. An outline can also be provided by the University discussing in advance the time commitment which is required to put in each assignment to meet with success. The solution can be as simple as providing a syllabus of expectations to the learner prior to taking the class. In this way, there is a clear understanding of the commitment involved to be successful with the online course. A dedicated instructor will take the matter further by making sure that there is a discussion thread which will need to be answered on a weekly base. If the teacher observes that there is no response from the online learner for the entire week than the professor can simply send an e-mail in response to this lack of participation. Another solution from the student point of view is to send an e-mail which can provide insight on how to study or prepare for a course (Bender, 2003). In addition, many educators will have an exercise that has students assess their level of skills prior to instruction. At the end of instruction, an assignment is given in the form of a thread to determine if in fact the learners’ were able to grasp the objective.
By having an instructor ask the class at the beginning of the lesson what they expect to get out of the lesson, it provides better student centered learning. When the learner understands that the course is designed to challenge each individual student to grow and stretch in learning than there is a deeper purpose behind learning and the learner is more prone to get involved (National Research Council, 2011).
.
Another way in which feedback can be beneficial is when teachers give feedback to teachers. For example, at some universities professors are able to view the syllabus and discussion threads of their fellow peers. This learning strategy should not be looked upon as an intrusion of one’s private business but a learning experience. In many cases instructors who receive key feedback can either update or continue the strategies which they are using with their students. It is just another way that educators can collaborate on an ongoing basis to improve their instructional skills. Feedback can assist all the learning agents in an effort to improve online instruction and delivery strategies.
Another type of feedback that occurs all the time is the feedback that teachers provide to their students. This feedback is essential for student growth. This also provides an opportunity for student to update their assignment if they produced an assignment which failed to meet the mark. The online professor can simply encourage the learner to update the assignment. Feedback from an instructor is also an acknowledgement that the assignment submitted by the student has in fact been received. The instructor will be able to update and make adjustments for the class when feedback from students is provided. In addition, it is important to obtain feedback from the students who drop out of the course. It would be helpful to determine the reasons for a student’s withdrawal. It may have resulted from a student’s in ability to adjust to the challenging updated technology. If the reason that a student withdrew from a class was only due to a technical reason and not for a content subject matter reason than it would make sense to find out the reason. A technical reason can be that the learner did not have the needed technical materials for success. The instructor who is now aware of this aspect can make sure that the syllabus has the needed technical equipment for student success.
It is also important that feedback be provided in a timely fashion. The person who is in need of an answer has the right to expect that the answer will be provided in a reasonable amount of time. The person who must wait literally for over 24 hours may feel disappointed. The effect of the pro longed waiting may result in the person losing interest in the subject matter. So it is important that feedback be provided in a timely manner. In turn the instructor needs to make it known the specific times that the professor is available to communicate. In reality the instructor cannot be available to the learner 24 hours a day. It is still important however to make sure that the instructor is acknowledging the learners progress (Rhcsg, 2011).
References Brookfield, S.D. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Bender, T. (2003). Discussion-based online teaching to enhance student learning: Theory, practice and assessment. Sterling, Virginia: Stylus Publishing.
Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
This particular assignment gave me the opportunity to observe thatnot only the professor can give meaningful feedback but the students as well. Meaningful feedback is important and offers several benefits. There are also strategies that can be used to promote meaningful feedback.
This particular assignment will provide insight on the benefits of meaningful feedback to teachers and instructors. It is clear that meaningful feedback is essential with regards to online communication in order to promote understanding and meaningful learning.Meaningful feedback can be given by both teachers as well as learners. In addition,strategies should be used to encourage meaningful feedback with online communications.
When it comes to feedback from students with regards to their online experience, it is very important. The benefits of online student feedback about courses taken will focus on the experience of the materials and course work instead of just the instructor’s personality. It is of interest to note that some educators recommend that online students who have already taken a course actually write a letter to the new students who will be taking the course with regards to the preparation needed to succeed. (Brookfield, 1995). In the case of online student’s feedback, it is also important to know how well or not well technology worked for them. Student feedback also allows the professors to be aware of any suggestions on how to improve the course (Palloff and Pratt, 2007).
Not only can students provide feedback for the instructor but they can also provide feedback to each other with regards to their assignments. The benefit of student feedback to other students is that it creates a collaborative effort and improves learning. It is important to keep in mind however that all grades that are to be given out are private and from the instructor and not another student. This student to student feedback will be on going and another benefit will be that students will be able to look at completed work in a different light. It is important that student receive training on how to give feedback. It takes more than to just say: “Good Job”. The student who is giving the feedback must know how to explain the reason why the comment is made. A fellow student can state the reason why he feels the way he or she does. The peer review will provide suggestions and reasons for why the comments were made. In addition, a rubric can be provided in advance so that the learners not only know what type of comments to make but also learners will know what will be observed and commented on (Palloff and Pratt, 2005).
A professor can encourage proper feedback from students by modeling examples of feedback which is appropriate and having discussions about this within the discussion thread. In many cases an experience professor will provide an outline of the proper etiquette when addressing fellow learners. The key to keep in mind is to keep the communication professional. The bottom line of student online feedback is that the feedback be productive as well as encourage growth (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004).
There are many types of strategies which can be used to encourage student feedback. As mentioned before a professor can use a discussion thread to encourage feedback. In addition there are also several rubrics that can be used for strategic feedback. When it comes to a team effort, the feedback can be in the form of a sample rubric for collaborative team work. Some of the categories for the learner to be graded on are the team’s effort, presentation style and content information. Another strategic rubric which can be used is an individual performance rubric. Some of the categories which can be measured are level of collaboration, level of preparation, time management as well as the level of focus on the task at hand. A time management system is important and can be measured using comments such as needs improvement to exemplary. For example, a student many not anticipate the amount of time needed to be dedicated to successfully complete an online course. Research reveals that there is a certain amount of time needed to dedicate to learning the needed technology to accomplish proficiency (Kop, 2011). For example, most universities provide a syllabus outlining of the course as well as the suggested text materials. A learner needs to take into account the time needed to devote to reading and studying the materials for the project assignment. An outline can also be provided by the University discussing in advance the time commitment which is required to put in each assignment to meet with success. The solution can be as simple as providing a syllabus of expectations to the learner prior to taking the class. In this way, there is a clear understanding of the commitment involved to be successful with the online course. A dedicated instructor will take the matter further by making sure that there is a discussion thread which will need to be answered on a weekly base. If the teacher observes that there is no response from the online learner for the entire week than the professor can simply send an e-mail in response to this lack of participation. Another solution from the student point of view is to send an e-mail which can provide insight on how to study or prepare for a course (Bender, 2003). In addition, many educators will have an exercise that has students assess their level of skills prior to instruction. At the end of instruction, an assignment is given in the form of a thread to determine if in fact the learners’ were able to grasp the objective.
By having an instructor ask the class at the beginning of the lesson what they expect to get out of the lesson, it provides better student centered learning. When the learner understands that the course is designed to challenge each individual student to grow and stretch in learning than there is a deeper purpose behind learning and the learner is more prone to get involved (National Research Council, 2011).
.
Another way in which feedback can be beneficial is when teachers give feedback to teachers. For example, at some universities professors are able to view the syllabus and discussion threads of their fellow peers. This learning strategy should not be looked upon as an intrusion of one’s private business but a learning experience. In many cases instructors who receive key feedback can either update or continue the strategies which they are using with their students. It is just another way that educators can collaborate on an ongoing basis to improve their instructional skills. Feedback can assist all the learning agents in an effort to improve online instruction and delivery strategies.
Another type of feedback that occurs all the time is the feedback that teachers provide to their students. This feedback is essential for student growth. This also provides an opportunity for student to update their assignment if they produced an assignment which failed to meet the mark. The online professor can simply encourage the learner to update the assignment. Feedback from an instructor is also an acknowledgement that the assignment submitted by the student has in fact been received. The instructor will be able to update and make adjustments for the class when feedback from students is provided. In addition, it is important to obtain feedback from the students who drop out of the course. It would be helpful to determine the reasons for a student’s withdrawal. It may have resulted from a student’s in ability to adjust to the challenging updated technology. If the reason that a student withdrew from a class was only due to a technical reason and not for a content subject matter reason than it would make sense to find out the reason. A technical reason can be that the learner did not have the needed technical materials for success. The instructor who is now aware of this aspect can make sure that the syllabus has the needed technical equipment for student success.
It is also important that feedback be provided in a timely fashion. The person who is in need of an answer has the right to expect that the answer will be provided in a reasonable amount of time. The person who must wait literally for over 24 hours may feel disappointed. The effect of the pro longed waiting may result in the person losing interest in the subject matter. So it is important that feedback be provided in a timely manner. In turn the instructor needs to make it known the specific times that the professor is available to communicate. In reality the instructor cannot be available to the learner 24 hours a day. It is still important however to make sure that the instructor is acknowledging the learners progress (Rhcsg, 2011).
References
Brookfield, S.D. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Bender, T. (2003). Discussion-based online teaching to enhance student learning: Theory, practice
and assessment. Sterling, Virginia: Stylus Publishing.
Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. (2004). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for
creative instruction.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kop,R. (2011). The challenges to connectivist learning on open online networks: Learning experiences
during massive open online course. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning,
12.3, 35. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=126&sid=04584fbe-46a5-401b-94d0- 24f32245e035%40sessionmgr113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Q
National Research Council. 2011. How do we know what students are learning? Retrieved from
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10019
Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community.
San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for
the virtual classroom. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Rhcsg. (2011, August). How to succeed in an online program: e-learning. Ground Report,
Page 1. Retrieved from http://www.groundreport.com/Lifestyle/How-to-Succeed-in
-an-Online-Program-eLearners-com-/2940883
Additional Online resource:
http://www.ehow.com/list_6764653_toughest-managing-feedback-online-classroom_.html